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Canada Politics

Twitter People and the Senate Expense Scandal

Bill Haines | Posted 05.22.2013 | Canada Alberta
Bill Haines

Over the holiday weekend I finished reading the gripping book, Joel Rosenberg's latest novel, "Damascus Count Down" all about the worst case scenario of what if nuclear warheads fell into the hands of the personification of evil. And so, actually I was quite relieved to find that the biggest news story in Canada, Tuesday morning was - all the above are right, PM Stephen Harper is both not happy and very upset about the senate expense scandal.

Franke James and the Art of Activism

Kevin Grandia | Posted 05.22.2013 | Canada Politics
Kevin Grandia

In 2011, Canadian artist Franke James set out on a solo European art exhibit spanning 20 countries. But what happened instead, prompted an Amnesty International campaigner in Croatia to declare it a "sad day for Canadian democracy."

Biased Lapdog Investigations Require Real Responses

Tyler Sommers | Posted 05.22.2013 | Canada Politics
Tyler Sommers

Today, Democracy Watch set out the details of why biased, lapdog investigations mean that a cover-up of the Senate expenses scandal is the most likely...

Quebec's Pursuit of the Green Dream Will Lead to Ruin

Kenneth P. Green | Posted 05.20.2013 | Canada Politics
Kenneth P. Green

Quebec's political leaders seem to have fallen for the Great Green Dream of economic prosperity without energy or natural resource production. It's a magical vision of a world powered by unicorns and rainbows, where consumer goods are somehow conjured out of thin air rather than being manufactured with resources extracted from the ground. But experience in Europe shows that chasing the green dream is a path to financial ruin, not utopia. Quebec's one-two punch to energy and natural resource production is most likely to hurt the province itself more than the industries who might invest there.

If the Stories Are True, Can Rob Ford Be Removed From Office?

James Morton | Posted 05.19.2013 | Canada Politics
James Morton

The obvious question is, if Mayor Ford is charged with possession of crack cocaine does he then lose his post? The short answer is "no." Absent imprisonment, there is really no way to remove a mayor who is charged with an offence.

Nigel Wright Or Wrong? Twitter Weighs In

The Huffington Post Canada | Posted 05.19.2013 | Canada Politics

Who says Sundays are slow news days? News that Nigel Wright had quit as Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff hit Twitter early Sunday mor...

Tough Times Ahead For The BC Liberals

Jason Clemens | Posted 05.16.2013 | Canada British Columbia
Jason Clemens

The BC Liberals and particularly Premier Christy Clark deserve the praise they're receiving for their surprise electoral victory. After all, the Liberals reversed a double-digit deficit in the polls and ended up securing a majority government. This moment of jubilation for the Liberals and their supporters will be short-lived however, as the reality of governing in difficult times takes hold. The litmus test for the success of this government, which they themselves established, is the success of the economy and in particular, jobs.

Will an LCBO Strike Spark a Private Party?

Samuel Mosonyi | Posted 05.16.2013 | Canada Politics
Samuel Mosonyi

The looming LCBO strike threat has suddenly gotten all sorts of Ontarians anxious about a potentially dry next few days (or weeks). LCBO workers, who are represented by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), voted 95 per cent in favour of striking, and the deadline is approaching. Yet a strike is in no one's best interests. Now, this entire scenario would change if the availability of alcohol were to be completely diminished. This inconvenience may cause citizens to want an alternative to the LCBO in the event it is rendered incapable by a strike.

"Twiterrorism" Is Making Governments Tremble

Maria Fleming | Posted 05.09.2013 | Canada Politics
Maria Fleming

Twitter is becoming a powerful threat to government because anyone, anywhere can participate anonymously and all voices are on an equal playing field. This tool's ability to quickly assemble groups from the comfort of one's home is making governments tremble.

How Self-Inflicted Wounds Made The B.C. Conservative Party Irrelevant

Samuel Getachew | Posted 04.30.2013 | Canada Politics
Samuel Getachew

At a party convention three years ago -- British Columbia's Conservative Party leader -- Jim Cummins -- remarked how the "BC Conservatives are going t...

Who Does Your Representative Represent?

Aaron H. Emery | Posted 04.29.2013 | Canada
Aaron H. Emery

It took four months to go from the tragedy of Newtown to the disgraceful lack of leadership that saw the United States Congress -- with its 15% approv...

With Kinder Morgan, Clark Will Destroy Vancouver

Kevin Grandia | Posted 04.29.2013 | Canada British Columbia
Kevin Grandia

According to Tourism Vancouver, in 2011 visitors to our city spent an estimated $92 million, and "cruise passengers increased by 15 per cent over 2010. Between May and October 2011, Port Metro Vancouver welcomed 663,425 passengers on 27 different vessels over 199 cruise ship calls." While Vancouver has many amazing attractions, restaurants and cultural centers, it is the ocean and all the nature around that bring people from all over the world to visit our city. Quite frankly, if it wasn't for the amazing oceanscapes and natural beauty, Vancouver would be nothing more than a small version of... wait for it... Toronto.

The Dinosaurs of Outer-urbia

Pat Hanlon | Posted 04.24.2013 | Canada Alberta
Pat Hanlon

The current scandal surrounding the real estate developers in Calgary and their efforts to influence the October 2013 municipal elections is evidence of an industry feeling entitled to proceed with business as they see fit but unable or unwilling to innovate or think strategically or critically about their direction.

Trudeau Needs To Do Better Than This

Daniel Dickin | Posted 04.23.2013 | Canada Politics
Daniel Dickin

Justin Trudeau needs to fire his public relations team. Either that, or perhaps the Conservative Party truth ads were entirely correct in depicting Trudeau as being completely devoid of the experience."Doesn't have the judgment or experience to be Prime Minister" could not have rung clearer in Trudeau's first week as Liberal leader.

Trudeau Attack Ad: the NDP Are the Real Winners Here

Stephen Hampton | Posted 04.19.2013 | Canada Politics
Stephen Hampton

Both the Conservative and Liberal parties have declared themselves victorious over the recent Trudeau attack ads but the real winners of these ads have been the NDP. These ads allow the NDP the luxury of not spending money on, or bearing the negative condemnation that comes with running attack ads. Moreover the NDP benefit from the actual attack that the Liberals and Trudeau are taking because attack ads do work.

What's Worse Than an Attack Ad? A Syrupy Sweet One

Gerry Nicholls | Posted 04.18.2013 | Canada Politics
Gerry Nicholls

To my mind, there's actually something much worse than a nasty negative attack ad, and that's a saccharine, upbeat positive ad. To me this is worse than coarsening culture, it's dulling culture, it's taking what should be an exciting rough and tumble debate and turning it into a boring syrupy goo.

(LOOK) Justin Trudeau.. Dragon Slayer or Sir Robin?

Grooch | Posted 04.17.2013 | Canada Alberta
Grooch

Powerful King Harper seated atop his dragon. Alas, has a new Knight come to Camelot to overthrow the Conservatives and follow in his father's footsteps? Or has Justin Trudeau stepped out of the frying pan and into the fire?

Mulcair's NDP: Radical, Socialist and Disorganized as Ever

Daniel Dickin | Posted 04.17.2013 | Canada Politics
Daniel Dickin

What was supposed to be an exercise in showing how good the NDP could be at managing the public purse and proposing sensible, balanced policies turned into the usual radical, job-killing, tax-raising, disorganized chaos for which the left wing has always been known.

The Local Food Act That Could Make a Difference in Ontario

Ontario Association of Food Banks | Posted 04.15.2013 | Canada Impact
Ontario Association of Food Banks

With the current economic state in Ontario, many individuals are struggling to put meals on the table each and every day. Prices are rising across the board for food staples, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find accessible, affordable, and nutritious food. Since being re-introduced to legislature, the Local Food Act has passed its first reading.

The Divisions Within Sask. NDP

Cole Hogan | Posted 04.15.2013 | Canada Alberta
Cole Hogan

On March 9, 2013, the provincial NDP crown once again eluded Ryan Meili, a family physician from Saskatoon, losing to the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Saskatoon Massey Place, Cam Broten, by a slim margin of 44 votes.

Media Bites: Choosing a Party Leader Should Be "Un-Conventional"

J.J. McCullough | Posted 04.15.2013 | Canada Politics
J.J. McCullough

Nationalization, the belief that the government should occasionally seize control of private enterprise to better serve the "public good," isn't an idea with much traction in Canadian politics these days -- despite the NDP's best efforts. If there's any Canadian industry crying out for nationalization, it's political parties. Unlike General Motors or CIBC, they have literally no reason to exist beyond serving the public interest. We need parties to form governments in our parliamentary system, and they provide the lifeblood of choice in elections. Is there a downside to nationalization?

6 Cognitive Biases That Make Politics Irrational

Adam Kingsmith | Posted 04.14.2013 | Canada Politics
Adam Kingsmith

These seemingly irrational flaws in judgement can lead to perpetual distortion, inaccurate judgement, and illogical interpretation -- all of which are key ingredients in the widening of cultural rifts, the deepening of global disparity gaps, and the general intensifying of political upheavals.

Canada Was Wrong To Withdraw From Desertification Treaty

Craig and Marc Kielburger | Posted 04.10.2013 | Canada Impact
Craig and Marc Kielburger

Many voices have since weighed in on Canada's decision to quit the Convention to Combat Desertification, citing facts and figures; however the voices absent from the debate are those of the estimated two billion people watching their livelihoods dry up with the land.

Why I'm A Liberal -- And Why Liberalism Lives

Bob Rae | Posted 04.05.2013 | Canada Politics
Bob Rae

I am a Liberal because I believe that love is better than hate, because I believe in celebrating success and never resenting it, and because I do not mock failure. I believe in enough government to help us all achieve success, but not too much government to stifle initiative and creativity.

Conservatives Have Left Sharks to Flounder

Stephen Hampton | Posted 03.29.2013 | Canada Politics
Stephen Hampton

n March 27, the House of Commons had the opportunity to pass a private members bill put forth by NDP member Fin Donnelly to ban the importation of shark fins to Canada. The Conservative party however, decided that fighting to save sharks and represent the Canadian popular will was not part of their mandate and struck the bill down 143 votes to 138.